Downton Abbey RP is a Thing That Exists [Checkit]

There are two things that made me want to share this. First (and most importantly) it shows that RP isn't just something for silly kids. Anyone can get a kick out of it if it's in the proper setting. It also shows that there is serious potential to make money in large-scale roleplays like this one. Check out those ticket prices!

Secondly, my parents (both in their fifties) absolutely LOVE Downton Abbey and would totally get a kick out of this xD. Maybe someday I'll take them to Poland. Hi mom!

Are you still mourning Downton Abbey and re-runs on PBS just aren't enough to satisfy your appetite for period drama? Have you ever thought to yourself, "I wonder what it was like to be a servant back in 1917, and I'd be willing to pay to find out?"

If you answered yes to both of those questions, I'd like to call your attention to Fairweather Manor.

Located at Zamek Moszna, a historic castle in southwestern Poland, not far from the Czech border, Fairweather Manor is an international "larp" set at a wedding in England around the First World War. "Larp," for the uninitiated, stands for live-action role play, and to put it in terms a non-larper might understand, it's kind of like a multi-day murder-mystery game except there is no murder, and no one wins or loses. It's all about working together to create a story, not unlike fully immersive theater experiences like Sleep No More or Then She Fell.

"We invite you to take the leap with us," explains the website, "back one hundred years into a past where class and social status was everything and where the ideal of service was still very much alive."

Nobles, experts, and artists pay €395 for the experience, while servants pay only €125 (to account for their less-than-glamorous quarters), and the optional costume rental comes in at another €100.

In a single, weekend-long session, there are typically 136 participants from all over the world playing roles ranging from lady-maid to the Duke.

That sounds like quite a bit of money to play the help, but if you still want to know more, there's a whole 18-minute documentary about the experience. Check it out below: